Prosthetic Foot Friction Element Mitigates Clearance Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prosthetic feet with heel height adjustment mechanisms suffer from clearance-induced noise due to relative movement between the foot part and lower leg part, making it difficult to easily release and relock the connection without tools or outside help.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a friction element between the foot part and lower leg part to apply a frictional torque that counteracts pivoting, slowing down the movement caused by clearance and reducing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a clearance is provided in the connection between foot part and lower leg part to enable pivot movement for heel height adjustment, then the ease of operation is improved, but noise is generated due to hard impacts during pivoting
Solution Approach 1:
A damping element is pre-installed in the connection between the foot part and lower leg part to cushion the hard impacts that occur during pivoting movements. This beforehand cushioning prevents the noise-generating impacts while maintaining the clearance necessary for heel height adjustment, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and noise reduction.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If prior art solutions like spring-loaded pins or wrap springs are used to prevent clearance-induced movement, then noise is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in releasing the locking
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful impact noise is isolated and absorbed by a separate damping element that is inserted into the connection between foot part and lower leg part. This extraction of the noise-generating impact function allows the main locking mechanism to remain simple and easy to operate, while the damping element independently handles the noise reduction without interfering with the ease of releasing the locking.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a damping element is inserted into the connection between foot part and lower leg part, then impact noise is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element is merged with the existing connection structure between the foot part and lower leg part. By integrating the noise-reducing function into the existing connection mechanism rather than adding a separate complex system, the device complexity is minimized while still achieving effective impact noise reduction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The friction element mitigates the impact noise by slowing down the relative movement between the components, allowing for easier adjustment of pivot angles without tools and reducing noise to an imperceptible level.
Implementation Method 1
at least one friction element, which is arranged between the foot part and the lower leg part and applies a frictional torque that counteracts a pivoting of the foot part relative to the lower leg part
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a prosthetic foot witha foot part 2 anda lower leg part 4 that is connected to the foot part 2 such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis 6 and that can be locked in various pivot angles relative to the foot part 2,the connection between the lower leg part 4 and the foot part 2 having a clearance in the pivot direction when the foot part 2 is locked on the lower leg part 4, the prosthetic foot having at least one friction element 14 arranged between the foot part 2 and the lower leg part 4 and applying a frictional torque that counteracts a pivoting of the foot part 2 relative to the lower leg part 4 when the foot part 2 is locked relative to the lower leg part 4.